Set during the dying days of Imperial China, Little Hut of Leaping Fishes is a sweeping tale of love, family and sibling rivalry.
It is 1875 and at the Chai mansion, two babies are born just minutes apart. As the first grandson of Master Chai, Mingzhi's life is already mapped out, and he is destined to inherit great wealth and power. His younger brother, Mingyuan, is not so lucky; as second grandson, he will remain forever in his older brother's shadow.
As the two boys grow, so too do their differences. While Mingzhi seeks to escape the confines and corruption of the family mansion through learning - and, later, marriage - Mingyuan is seduced by the seedier side of life, by opium dens and gambling - and, ultimately, the desire to depose his brother.
It's when the 'foreign devils' invade the brothers' homeland, however, that the true extent of Mingyuan's jealousy becomes clear - and Mingzhi has to decide, once and for all, between past and future, between family and love.